The present invention generally relates to steering mechanisms for mobile treating machines and to locking mechanisms for interlocking first and second pivotal handles, with the present invention being illustrated in its preferred form of a mobile floor treating machine.
The advent of mobile floor treating machines of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,719 where the floor treating members not only treat the floor but provide the propelling force removed the need for wheel drive systems without requiring the operator to push or pull the machine over the floor surface. It can further be appreciated that such machines are of great mass due to the weight of their components and often are energized by batteries which further compound the mass of the machine. Although the effort required by the operator to move the machine forward or in reverse on the floor surface is greatly reduced or effectively eliminated by the construction described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,719, it can be appreciated that significant effort must still be exerted by the operator to maneuver the machine from a straight line path such as to turn a corner or to move to another cleaning path. Thus, a need has arisen for a steering mechanism for reducing the effort required to maneuver the machine.
Further, in the most preferred form of the steering mechanism, first and second pivotal handles are utilized to control the directional-reaction created. Thus, a further need has arisen to-selectively interlock the handles to allow operation-of the machine in a manner similar to existing mobile-floor treating machines when operating along a straight line cleaning path and to allow the handles to be separate]y activated to maneuver the machine out of the straight line cleaning path.